The present invention relates generally to the generation of electrical power, and more particularly to a gravity assisted power plant utilizing the displacement of a fluid.
There are many types of power plants used as a means for converting stored energy into work. Typically, power plants must be located near sources of stored energy such as coal fields or river dams or are located near the places where work is to be performed. Power plants generally convert the stored energy of fossil fuels, such as oil, into kinetic energy. This kinetic energy is often a spinning shaft. The fossil fuels are generally burned to produce steam used to drive a turbine. The turbine is often connected to a generator for the generation of electrical energy, which is easily distributed. Nuclear energy is also used to generate steam to drive turbines and produce electricity. Hydroelectric power plants are also common and use elevated water supplies or the energy of moving water in a river for producing electricity.
In the effort to produce more electricity and power from the diminishing supply of fossil fuels, alternative sources of energy have been investigated, such as wind, tides, waves, geothermal sources, ocean thermal, nuclear fusion, and solar radiation. However, most of these alternative sources of power have been of negligible commercial significance.
Therefore, there is a need for a power plant that is relatively simple and easily constructed that can use renewable resources to generate electrical power.
The present invention uses gravity and Archimedes""s principle to generate power efficiently. A first and second expandable chamber are connected by a cable and attached to a pulley. The first and second expandable chambers are adapted to move up and down in a first and second shaft, respectively. Each shaft is filled with a buoyant fluid, such as salt water. Inside the first and second expandable chambers is an electrolyte and electrode. Electrical energy supplied to the electrode causes the electrolyte to generate steam, expanding the expandable chamber. The expandable chamber is then caused to rise within the fluid filled shaft with the other expandable chamber being lowered into the other fluid filed shaft. Prior to being lowered, the expandable chamber releases or expels the previously generated steam or gas, causing the expandable chamber to decrease in volume.
By repeating the process of alternately raising and lowering the expandable chambers, the pulley connected to the cable rotates, producing work capable of generating electricity.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power plant that uses gravity to assist in producing electricity.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it is relatively efficient.
It is another advantage of the present invention that it has a quite operation and produces no combustion gases.
It is a feature of the present invention that an expandable chamber placed in a shaft filled with fluid is used.
It is another feature of the present invention that an electrolyte and electrode are used within the expandable chamber to expand the expandable chamber.
These and other objects, advantages, and features will become more readily apparent in view of the following detailed description.